Kate jokingly asked if the little girl wanted to keep the flowers, and told her: "It's probably not so tasty".

When the baby reached towards the blooms again, to laughter from the gathered crowd, the Duchess added: "I don't think that's going to be very nice."

The Duchess had also been presented with a flower from a young royal fan dressed as a princess.

Four-year-old Shona Ritchie was dressed in her favourite green and gold princess outfit, complete with a gold crown, as she stood outside the Emirates Arena with her family.

Her mother, Karen Ritchie, 34, from Croftfoot, Glasgow, said Shona had waited all morning to ask William for a kiss but, as he leaned over, she became shy.

Mrs Ritchie said: "She's been dressed up like that since 6am today and we've been here waiting since nine. But when she finally plucked up the courage to ask him, she got really shy and pulled away. As he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead she pulled away and got really shy. This is the quietest she's been all day."

The Duchess was given a red flower when she also stopped to speak to Shona.

Mrs Ritchie said: "She said Shona looked very pretty and asked her if she had picked the flower from her garden, but Shona told her she got it from my vase in the house and she thought that was very funny."